The semi-finalists for the number one contenders’ tournament were set in Coventry, while Emersyn Jayne looked to make her mark in Rev Pro in the main event against Kanji.
Quick Results
Liam Slater pinned Cameron Khai in 8:01 (***)
Millie McKenzie & Charli Evans pinned Safire Reed & Lizzy Evo in 9:04 (***)
Chris Ridgeway pinned Nino Bryant in 13:09 (***)
Rev Pro Undisputed British Heavyweight Championship Contenders Tournament Quarter Final: TK Cooper pinned Leon Slater in 11:36 (**¾)
Rev Pro Undisputed British Heavyweight Championship Contenders Tournament Quarter Final: Sha Samuels pinned JJ Gale in 8:47 (***)
Luke Jacobs & Ethan Allen pinned Leland Bryant & Zander Bryant in 16:23 (**)
Jay Joshua defeated Zozaya via count-out in 9:21 (**½)
Emersyn Jayne pinneed Kanji in 18:58 (***¼)
— To watch this show, head over to RevProOnDemand.com
For the second time this year, Rev Pro headed to the HMV Empire in Coventry – and since we’re a ways out from their next “big” show, this should be more than a placeholder. Commentary comes from the silhouettes of Dave Bradshaw and Andy Quildan.
Liam Slater vs. Cameron Khai
Liam’s sporting Leon’s Blacksmith shirts football top – a slight change to his “PE kit” outfit.
Slater looked to frustrate Khai early on, taking him down with wristlocks before Khai fired back with a diving forearm. A Dragon screw through the ropes jammed Khai’s knee in return, only for Khai to shrug it off, only for his crack at a Pingshot cutter to get snuffed out by Slater, who just threw him into the turnbuckles.
That began a spell of offence for Liam, whose backbreaker caught Khai out unawares, only for Khai to respond with the rolling Northern Lights suplexes. Trying to add a Falcon arrow goes nowhere though, as Khai instead has to trip up Slater for a low superkick and an over-the-knee brainbuster for a near-fall. Whatever happened to calling that the Tomorrow Driver?
Slater’s able to counter a leaping knee by catching Khai and rolling him into a half crab, but that amounted to little as Khai hit back with a running Meteora, before an attempt at the Croyt’s Wrath ended up getting countered into a Victory Roll before a crucifix pin led to the flash win for Slater. Hey, I dig it when matches end unexpectedly like this – always good to subvert expectations! ***
Liam Slater tried to coach Khai after the match, but got shoved away as the pair marched to the back…
Cut Throat Collective (Lizzy Evo & Safire Reed) vs. Medusa Complex (Charli Evans & Millie McKenzie)
Not to borrow someone else’s talking point, but can we do away with the “women’s division” label?
This was the first time the Medusa Complex had tagged in Rev Pro since March 2020 – just before the world went to hell. Starting with Evans and Reed, it was the Medusa Complex who started out brighter, isolating Safire before a crucifix pin drew a two-count before Reed scuttled out to make a tag.
Things didn’t change for Evo though, as she struggled to turn it around for the Collective, at least until she elbowed her way out of a waistlock. Safire Reed provides a distraction as Evo finally got some shots in on McKenzie, before Evo came back in to put the boots to Millie.
A turnaround allowed Charli Evans in to crash in with running knees to both Evo and Reed in the corners, but it’s Evo who remained legal as Charli took them to the ropes for that low splash into the bottom rope. That must be an exclusive move to the Aussies…
Reed recovers to hit a ripcord clothesline as Evans went for something on Evo… and the ensuing double-team almost ended in a win for Reed after a DDT. Millie’s back to clear house with superkicks and suplexes, before a spear almost put Reed away… only for Evo to break it up with a low superkick of her own. That superkick looked to have rocked McKenzie, who stayed down… and since the match didn’t get waved off, Charli helped out as Safire didn’t go for the kill, eventually holding Reed for a cutter from McKenzie for the win. ***
Post-match, Evo and Reed stayed back for our drama – Reed wanted to apologise, but Evo eventually relented as Safire vowed “I’ll be better.” Slow burn.
Chris Ridgeway vs. Nino Bryant
Ridgeway’ll be looking to get back in the winning column after narrowly losing to Leon Cage a few weeks ago – while Nino Bryant is still looking for his maiden win in Rev Pro. We’re told Ridgeway’s got a two-out-of-three falls match with Cage in Sheffield in two weeks’ time. During the match, we also find out the winner of next month’s British J Cup tournament will get their title shot during the 13th Anniversary double-header in August.
Ridgeway tried to keep Bryant at close quarters… an up kick from Nino caught out Ridgeway before some headscissors took things to the mat. Responding, Ridgeway kicks Bryant’s leg out of his leg, before dropkicks to the knee spun Nino down to the mat.
Using the ring post, Ridgeway slams Nino’s legs into the post, before things returned to the ring with Ridgeway grapevining Nino’s leg. The ropes save Bryant, but a shinbreaker puts him back on the deck before a missed dropkick to the knee allowed Nino to return with a double stomp in quick succession.
Nino builds up with a diving kick for a two-count, only for Ridgeway to go right back to the shinbreaker as he followed up with a calf slicer in the search for the stoppage. Switching it up, Ridgeway goes for an ankle hold, but the ropes again saved Nino. Small packages nearly snatch the win for Nino, whose PK keep it going as a bridging vertical suplex and a small package driver had Ridgeway struggling to stay in this.
Staggering up, Nino misses a charge into the corner as Ridgeway strung him up by the knee instead. Escaping a superplex, Bryant’s able to land a gamengiri to knock Ridgeway down… but a follow-up stomp off the top misses as Ridgeway’s diving knee almost ends things, before a sheer-drop brainbuster finally put Nino away. Close, but not close enough as Nino remains winless here. ***
Post-match, Ridgeway spits in Nino’s face after faking out a handshake…
Rev Pro Undisputed British Heavyweight Championship Contenders Tournament Quarter Final: Leon Slater vs. TK Cooper
The winner of this will join Ricky Knight Jr. and Zozaya in the semi-finals as we await those brackets… and it’s worth spotting just how “done with it” TK looked to be at the mere mention of Sunshine Machine.
TK Cooper looked to be a step ahead in the early going, at least until Leon smashed into him with a handspring back elbow. Leon piled on the pressure there, sending TK chest-first into the turnbuckles, as Leon slowly took control – stopping to mock TK by heading onto the apron to offer a tag, playing off of TK’s criticisms that everyone saw him as “a tag team guy.”
A headbutt from TK stopped that, as did an overhead suplex, which built up to the Omelette du Fromage for a near-fall. TK adds a torpedo-like headbutt, doing the Ralph Wiggum through the living room window, for good measure, before Leon fought back with a running kick. That kickstarted a spell of pressure for Slater, whose brainbuster almost put TK away, prompting Leon to target TK’s back with a series of kicks.
Responding, TK’s able to land a pop-up Samoan drop and a scissor kick, before he got caught up top. TK’s able to fight Leon off, only to get slingshotted in from the apron for a cutter… a leg lariat followed from Slater, but he took his time following up… and ends up landing in the knees as TK blocked a swanton 450, before stealing the win with a roll-up with a handful of ropes. **¾
Post-match, Liam Slater rushed out to calm down Leon, who was about to go after the referee for missing that call…
Rev Pro Undisputed British Heavyweight Championship Contenders Tournament Quarter Final: Sha Samuels vs. JJ Gale
Starting off the second half, we had Joshua James and Harry Milligan out with Sha… but Josh got sent to the back. Sha’s picked his favourite.
Sha controlled the pace early on, only to get caught with a quick roll-up as Gale almost snatched the win in under two-minutes. A butterfly suplex from Gale keeps him ahead, only for Sha to return with a clothesline and the volley kick to the back. Gale’s back body drop takes Sha outside as he fought out of a piledriver… adding a tope into the rampway for good measure, before Sha avoided a springboard uppercut after they’d returned to the ring.
Gale’s caught with a Michinoku driver seconds later for a two-count, before another back body drop countered the East End Destroyer. From there, Gale added uppercuts and a spinning heel kick before a rebound German suplex and a Slingblade left Samuels in trouble. My feed drops, returning with Sha hitting the East End Destroyer and a Sha-Sault for a near-fall, before he headed up top again for a frog splash… but Gale got the knees up.
From there, Gale lands a PK… only for his Gale Force to get countered into a spinebuster for a near-fall going the other way. Gale tries again, but Sha countered with a roll-up, before sitting down on a sunset flip as the SummerSlam ‘92 finish ended a tidy match and put Sha in the semis. ***
Post-match, Gale’s offer of a handshake’s accepted, and I can hear Gideon Grey blowing his stack from here… meanwhile, Joshua James eventually heads out to join the celebrating, as they headed to the back. Bad timing.
Young Guns (Luke Jacobs & Ethan Allen) vs. Flying Bryant Brothers (Zander Bryant & Leland Bryant)
I don’t like the Bryants chances here – as they seem to be being set up as tackling dummies ahead of the Young Guns’ no-DQ defence against CPF next month.
Allen and Zander start us off, as Ethan looked to be deriding his opponent early on, before Zander found his way through with some kicks… winding up Ethan even more as the Bryants combined with headscissors. A pair of step-up dropkicks from the Bryants find their mark ahead of a stomp from Leland for a two-count.
Allen hits back though, tagging in Luke Jacobs who beat down Leland like he was owed money, but again the Bryants find a way through as Leland’s crossbody off the top almost upset the former champion Jacobs. Eventually tagging out, Jacobs brought in Ethan Allen to clear the way… but Ethan gets dumped to the outside ahead of the Bryants’ duelling topes.
Which got caught as the Bryants got charged around the ring for a super collider by the aisle. Back inside, Jacobs laid waste to Leland with forearms and chops in the corner, before Leland tried his luck at a roll-up. It worked as far as baiting Luke to miss an elbow drop before Leland got caught coming off the ropes as Luke countered him into an Exploder.
Some double-teaming on Leland led to a backbreaker/elbow drop combo, before Allen tried to squeeze out Leland with a bulldog choke on the mat. Luke’s back in, but Leland manages to crack him with an enziguiri before both men made tags in… and one of the first things Zander did was land a Quebrada into Allen.
At the second attempt, a folding powerbomb landed for a near-fall… we keep going as Allen countered a slingshot into a draping DDT. A missed shot from Allen takes down Jacobs as the Bryants had fresh hope, landing a spear and neckbreaker combo on Luke ahead of duelling splashes off the top that almost got the win. Front kicks from Leland led to a ‘rana for a near-fall, before he got caught up top with chops… Leland comes off the top with a crossbody, but it’s caught as he had to counter back with an inside cradle… and from the kick out, the tag champions push on once more with a powerbomb/diving neckbreaker combo for a near-fall.
A wild lariat flips Leland from there, before a back suplex/kick combo and a kick-aided piledriver got the win. This was painted as a “are you watching CPF?” squash, but really they took way too long to get to the finale – with a lot of the meat of this match perhaps not landing as intended. **
Post-match, the Young Guns attack the Bryants some more to send a message, until Danny Black and Joe Lando made an appearance to save the Mulkies. Joe must have been sweltering in that hockey jersey. The end came after CPF grabbed some chairs and chuck them at the Young Guns, a la Sabu. RIP.
Zozaya vs. Jay Joshua
Two weeks ago, Zozaya narrowly beat Joshua via count-out at the 229… this time though, Jay Joshua got the jump on Zozaya as the pair brawled before the bell.
A front suplex from Joshua dumped Zozaya into the front row, before a switcheroo ended with a lap of honour as Zozaya booted Joshua back into that front row. The bell’s not gone, as we still continue on the outside with an X-Plex onto the apron, before Joshua ran Zozaya into the guard rails… only to charge himself into the same barrier as the lap of honor backfired.
We keep going with Zozaya on the stage diving onto Joshua a la RKJ every time they’re in Sheffield, before the match finally got going with Joshua snap slamming Zozaya off the top rope. Joshua controlled the pace from there, charging Zozaya into the corner before mocking the Spaniard’s mannerisms… en route to getting cut off with a dropkick.
Zozaya adds a stomp to the back from there, prompting Joshua to grab the ropes to try and stop the onslaught of stomps. It worked too, as he caught Zozaya coming off the top with almost a Millshot from a death valley driver for a near-fall, before he scored with another powerslam despite being caught in the ropes moments later.
Heading to the apron again, Joshua teased an apron piledriver, but Zozaya fought out as he went for a de Madrid al Cielo instead… only to eat a piledriver instead as Zozaya fell to the floor. That led to a count-out tease, but Zozaya dove back in at the count of 8 and promptly responded with a running death valley driver into the corner.
That sent Joshua spilling to the outside for respite, but Zozaya gave chase… which led to things spilling up onto the stage as they traded shots. Zozaya breaks out with a de Madrid al Cielo onto the stage, before the referee waved his hands up and began to head back to the ring to finally start his count. Zozaya beats the count, but told the referee to stop counting… only to springboard into a headbutt from Joshua on the floor. The Welshman adds a piledriver on the ramp for good measure as we’re back to the count-out teases, ending with Joshua beating the count-out for the win. This one didn’t feel like it had the venom of their original match, with Coventry perhaps not feeling it… but a count-out win apiece tells me Zozaya’s getting robbed in Sheffield and we’re getting something like Falls Count Anywhere between these two in York Hall. **½
Emersyn Jayne vs. Kanji
This was Emersyn’s first singles match in Rev Pro in over six years – last time being a win against Yuu in February 2019.
Kanji struck first, looking for some payback from what happened at the 229 a fortnight ago, taking down Jayne for the neck twist. A waistlock blocked Kanji’s back elbow, but Jayne’s taken into the corner as Kanji looked to have her number early on. The ropes save Emersyn as Kanji went for a Fujiwara armbar, before an Irish whip introduced the Scotswoman to the middle turnbuckle.
A quick turnaround sees Jayne hit an overhead suplex, before she added a backbreaker out of the corner ahead of a fallaway slam for good measure. Jayne adds a springboard moonsault out of the corner for a near-fall, before things were slowed down with a Corning hold. That’s turned into an armbar after Kanji’s attempt to break free faltered.
Finally fighting out, Kanji’s able to throw Jayne down to the mat as the feed stalled… we’re back with Emersyn landing a clothesline for a two-count, just in time for the stream to go again. We’re back again with Kanji catching Jayne between the ropes with chops, before kicks to the back of a hanging Jayne led to a clothesline to take things back to the mat.
Kanji looks to keep it on the mat with a full nelson, which she morphed into a Cattle Mutilation, breaking it only to elbow Jayne in the head. A snapping armbreaker followed off of Jayne’s back, as Kanji stayed on the arm with a double wristlock before Jayne clung on to block a manjigatame. Breaking free, Jayne countered with a heel hook, only for Kanji to roll through for a two-count, adding a superkick before she was met with a backfist in return.
Jayne’s criss-crossing in the ropes led to her getting taken down with a clothesline as we reset with some more back-and-forth strikes. Kanji took her eyes off the ball and took a German suplex for her troubles… but Jayne’s quickly caught with a manjigatame that she took into the ropes for a break. Heading onto the apron, Kanji’s forced to escape a Jig ‘n’ Tonic onto the side of the ring, eventually returning with a curb stomp for a two-count.
From there, Kanji’s triangle armbar is powered up out of as Jayne added a folding powerbomb for a near-fall. A double knee drop has Kanji laying by the ropes as Jayne went up top… and missed a moonsault… allowing Kanji back with almost a Hidden Blade into the corner. Jayne’s back body drop stopped a charging Kanji seconds later, but she can’t follow up as Kanji hammered her down for a Calf Slicer… ending with the referee getting caught up in the pile as Jayne pulled the official down, before hitting Kanji with the Jig ‘n’ Tonic for the win. ***¼
Post-match, Jayne took the mic and reminded the crowd of her belief that Kanji only got chances because she wasn’t around… before promising to beat everyone on her way to the top as Jayne exited stage left to end the show.
Perhaps not the show you’d expect as things stuttered in the second half – as Rev Pro’s May trip to Coventry was a solid, albeit unremarkable outing.